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Read. Follow. Verify.Utah Reorganizes Colorado River Authority Under Natural Resources and Allocates $1.6 Million for Fiscal Year 2027
Last action · March 25, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Scott Chew and 1 other
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What This Bill Does
The Utah Legislature moves the Colorado River Authority of Utah from the governor's office to the Department of Natural Resources, expands its board to 10 members, and appropriates $1,638,500 from the General Fund for 2027 starting July 1, 2026.
The relocation alters state water governance by embedding the Colorado River Authority inside the Department of Natural Resources, shifts appointment powers to the governor with Senate confirmation, and eliminates the while providing direct operating funds.
- The Colorado River Authority of Utah was originally established in 2021 to protect the state's interests and rights regarding the Colorado River system. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Colorado River Authority of Utah
The authority is relocated to the Department of Natural Resources, its board composition is restructured, and its funding mechanisms are altered.
Department of Natural Resources
The department absorbs the Colorado River Authority and its personnel functions into its organizational structure.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Colorado River Authority of Utah relocated under this bill?
How much money does the bill appropriate for the authority?
When do the provisions of this bill take effect?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
48 actions- Mar 25, 2026Lieutenant Governor's office for filingEnrolledGovernor Signed
- Mar 12, 2026HouseHouse/ to Governor
- Mar 12, 2026HouseHouse/ received enrolled bill from Printing
- Mar 11, 2026HouseHouse/ enrolled bill to Printing
- Mar 11, 2026Clerk of the HouseEnrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
- Mar 6, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingDraft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
Show 42 earlier actions
- Mar 6, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingBill Received from House for Enrolling
- Mar 5, 2026HouseHouse/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
- Mar 5, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ signed by President/ returned to House
- Mar 5, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ Rules to 2nd Reading Calendar
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd Reading Calendar to Rules
- Feb 25, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
- Feb 25, 2026SenateSenate/ committee report favorable
- Feb 24, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 23, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate/ to standing committee
- Feb 20, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0473S02
- Feb 20, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0473S02
- Feb 20, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0473S02
- Feb 20, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Feb 19, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Feb 19, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Feb 19, 2026HouseFloorHouse/ passed 3rd reading
- Feb 19, 2026HouseHouse/ substituted
- Feb 19, 2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
- Feb 19, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0473S02
- Feb 19, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0473S02
- Feb 12, 2026HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
- Feb 12, 2026HouseHouse/ comm rpt/ substituted
- Feb 12, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0473S01
- Feb 11, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0473S01
- Feb 11, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 11, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Substitute Recommendation
- Feb 10, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0473S01
- Feb 10, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0473S01
- Feb 9, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse/ to standing committee
- Feb 6, 2026HouseHouse/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Feb 6, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0473
- Feb 6, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0473
- Feb 4, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Feb 4, 2026HouseHouse/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Feb 3, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0473
- Feb 3, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0473
- Feb 3, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Feb 3, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselBill Numbered but not Distributed
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Voting Record
House/ passed 3rd reading
Total
75
- Yes
- 65
- No
- 1
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 9
- Abstain
- 0
How they voted (1)
Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Consolidation of Water Governance
Moving the Colorado River Authority from the governor's office to the Department of Natural Resources aligns water policy bodies under a single cabinet-level department.
Connected Entities
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy20Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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